Taking Baby Steps
by Minx of Lynex
Summary: Her eyes watched as Harry unknowingly caused her pain; the way that he was happy, caused her pain. Angst. Rated T.


Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

~TBS~

Ginerva Weasley stood on the stairs that led down into the large foyer of the Malfoy Manor. Years after the war saw her attending Harry Potter-Malfoy's twenty second birthday in the one house that she vowed never to enter. Yet, she was unwilling to risk her friendship with her _brother _for a petty long since abandoned rivalry.

The music that swept through the lower level of the mansion was a continuous list of upbeat songs that you'd find in a club. After all, everyone at the party was in the age range to appreciate the party as a break from the uptight lives that they now lived. All around the marble floor the bodies glided together in a relaxed, if not slightly sexual atmosphere.

Though the years had passed and she had out grown most of her girlish tendencies, her feelings for Harry had refused to change. The point that he would never see her in that way hurt enough; but the fact that he wanted Draco Malfoy for a lover above anyone else added salt to the wound. Her being here was enough to make her feel ill.

Yet, it was Harry's birthday and to his full knowledge, it had been a mutual break up; if only he knew exactly how she felt. There in the middle of the dance floor, the emerald eyed man was wrapped around the platinum blond that she knew was Malfoy. The affection that Harry bestowed on him was unearned, if not undeserved.

Closing her eyes to the sight, if only for a moment, she inhaled deeply to prevent from breaking out into the sobs that her heart wished for. It wasn't that she didn't want Harry to be happy. She had put her love for him on the back burner so that he could be happy. What she hadn't expected was for him to be happy with the junior death eater.

If there was one thing that she could have changed, it would have been the way that she responded to Harry wanting space. That's how it started after all; the need for space. She would have told him that space isn't what he needed. He needed to be around someone who understood and who would help him move passed everything.

Standing there though, watching him laugh and smile at Malfoy in the way that you just knew that he loved the blond dearly, she couldn't make herself want to change anything. Harry was _happy_; and that's all that mattered. Wetness stung at the back of her eyes and one stray tear rolled down her check before she whipped it away.

_Why do you love him and not me?_

The thought tore through her mind so quickly that she was unable to stop the flood of tears that began to stream down her face. A sob wracked her shoulders once as her mouth tightened into a line; biting painfully into her own tongue as to not make a sound. Her eyes watched as Harry unknowingly caused her pain; the way that he was happy, caused her pain.

For the final time she looked away from the love of her life and turned to walk swiftly down the stairs. Through the mass of bodies she trudged, pushing and shoving the party-goers out of her way. In their drunken stupors, no one noticed as she sobbed harshly, whimpers escaping her lips. As she reached the door, an anguished cry fell from her mouth; though no one seemed to hear.

Into the cool night air she stumbled, the door sealing itself closed behind her. The boisterous music was suddenly cut off and only silence surrounded her. Without the noise her self-pitied sobbing echoed quietly through the darkness, bouncing back to her from the forest. She sank to her knees; not caring that the gravel of the walk way nearly cut through the skin.

Seconds turned into minutes and the minutes turned into what felt like hours. After all, no one would be leaving the house from outside. Everyone had arrived through the floo and everyone was too drunk to apparate for fear of splinching. She could lay there in the drive way the entire night without being found. It wouldn't be until morning that the house elves found her.

After long moments of crying out to the sky, to the stars, she finally reeled in the emotions that had burst from within her. It didn't matter that she still loved him; he would never love her in that way. He had Malfoy for that. All she needed to do was move on with her life, find a husband, have a few kids; everything would work itself out.

It was then as she lay in the dirt, the gravel shredding her dress, the mud dirtying her hair that she finally had the resolve to do better for herself. Standing herself up from the ground, she pulled her wand from her purse and spun on her heel. Arriving at her apartment with a near deafening crack, she stepped up to the door, a small smile on her lips.

Stepping over the threshold, she shut the door behind her softly, locking it as it closed. She toed off her heels and moved to hang her purse on the coat hanger. With another step she stood in front of the hall mirror and for a long while she just stared at herself, mind wandering. Finally, she smiled with a sigh; even though it hurt, she was ready to move on.

"_Absolutely_."

~TBS~

For the Speed of Lightening Competition Round 1 :)

And, for the One Word Competition :)

I hope that you all liked it!

Please review! :)


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